Tag: disc golf news

We go out of our way to share news stories that cover disc golf growth at the local, grassroots level for two good reasons. Grassroots growth is the secret sauce for a sport that is spreading like a virus despite almost no corporate funding, and, amazingly, no other disc golf media talk much about it.

On January 2nd tusconlocalmedia.com published a comprehensive piece listing what their reporters believe will be the biggest stories in that region in 2019. Near the top is a theme that is all too common these days, a public (taxpayer funded) golf course that is losing more than $1 million a year. Who wants to bet they’ll be adding disc golf sometime soon? The same story mentions a new course coming to the El Rio Preserve in Pima County. If you live in Oro Valley, help them connect the dots!

If you’re near Blaine, WA, check out this new course added in 2018. Photo credit: Chris Garvey for The Northern Light

From Blaine, WA, right on the Canadian border, a similar “Year in Review” article published in The Northern Light lists the installation of a new course in Lincoln Park, stating “Residents and visitors can now enjoy the Blaine disc golf course in Lincoln Park, an 18-hole championship-style course that is free to use and encourages outdoor recreation and tournament-style play.”

A weee bit to the south, in Crossville, TN, a story that focuses on whether the town council should market itself as more than “The Golf Capital of Tennessee,” the real news (as far as we’re concerned) is buried near the bottom. The council is raising funds to build a #newdiscgolfcourse and should be ready to begin soon. If you live in Crossville, get in touch with them and let them know you’re excited- and maybe offer to help!

“The sports council has been raising funds to add a disc golf course at Meadow Park Lake and expects to soon move forward with that project.” –Heather Mullinix, Crossville Chronicle

In LaJunta, CO, a story detailing the city’s extensive Trails project, kudos are given for the installation of another new course. According to the story by Bette McFarren, “Also helping with the continued development of Anderson Arroyo, said (Parks and Recreation Director Brad) Swartz, is the popular Disc Golf Course installed in 2018.” Judging by the picture accompanying the story, the course replaced a previously neglected open space and now provides exercise and recreation for numerous residents. Have any of our readers played this one yet?

Finally, here is a story from Bowling Green Daily News about local business leaders in Logan County, KY wanting the county to purchase a golf course that is for sale and turn half of it into a park (leaving 9 holes of the golf course intact).

Their plan calls for the park to include a disc golf course, so here’s an extension of that idea. Build the park and disc golf course, and on the remaining 9-hole golf course, add disc golf to that as well. The county would suddenly be able to offer a 36-hole disc golf complex- a sure tourism draw these days when done right. If you know someone who lives in Bowling Green or Logan County tell them to pitch the idea right away. The people to talk to are listed in the story.

With apologies to Paul Mcbeth and his impressive ESPN coverage in the past year, local disc golf clubs still get my vote as the MVP (most valuable part) of disc golf’s inexorable expansion. It’s as simple as 1-2-3:

The increased visibility of our pro tours and the increase of disc golf-related businesses (more companies, more disc models, etc.) is due to a strong, steady rise in the number of people who play the sport.

The steady rise in the number of people who play the sport is mostly due to a steady rise in the number of places where disc golf can be played. New courses, in other words.

A large majority of disc golf courses in the world today exist only because a club lobbied for its installation and did/does the heavy lifting/grunt work- for example, the fundraising, maintenance, and community relations.

The chapter of The Disc Golf Revolution titled “Disc Golf’s Organic, Grassroots Growth offers dozens of examples, but this post focuses on one that is unfolding right now.

In Sandwich, which is part of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the #CapeCodDiscGolfClub is going above and beyond (which is typical behavior for a disc golf club) to get a new course installed on the Boyden Farm Conservation Lands. According to Tao Woolfe’s excellent reporting, the club submitted a proposal a year ago but pulled its request because the environmental impact report wasn’t completed in time. But when it was finally completed, results backed disc golf in a big way.

“The study ultimately showed that disc golf would not hurt wildlife or forested habitats. Natural Resources Director David J. DeConto said at that time that the environment would actually benefit from the new course.” –Tao Woolfe, The Sandwich Enterprise

Andrew McManus, president of CCDGC, submitted a plan promising the club would “prune the course annually, clean up any storm damage, design and create the course through the trees—keeping and maintaining the existing mature trees and thinning the underbrush.” It went on to say that volunteers (would) also clean up litter, help enforce park rules, and place signage and an information kiosk, and host golf clinics to teach people how to play.” Woolfe’s story added the fact that the club has performed similar volunteer maintenance at Burgess Park in Marstons Mills since 2011.

Disc golf clubs are also all about fun and competition. This is the team representing my home club, DeLaveaga Disc Golf Club, against 15 other clubs at the NorCal Team Invitational Match Play event.

The people who lead disc golf clubs and push to get new courses installed don’t do it for personal gain. To me, that makes their sport’s grassroots growth not only more special and pure, if you will, but also less likely to taper off. They put in the hours and raise the funds because they want more opportunities to do something they love, as evidenced in the photo above. They want it for themselves, to be sure, but they are also eager to share the experience with others.

As George ‘Frolf’ Costanza once famously said, “I’m back baby, I’m back!”

Tell all your content-hungry disc golf pals who (in addition to playing and watching) read about the sport whenever they can that the School of Disc Golf is back to posting a mixture of disc golf content- not just the instructional stuff tied to our core business.

You’ll once again also be seeing current disc golf news from around the world, with a focus on stories about the sport’s growth around the world. Like this story from Bay County, MI. Check out this awesome quote from director of recreation and facilities Cristen Gignac:

“One of the big parts of this grant is we do public input,” she said, adding during the month of September they had a survey that went out to the community. “There was a lot of interest in disc golf, you’ll see that as a priority in a handful of different places.”

Stories like this are popping up everywhere, and I love to share them. Add in occasional commentary provided by yours truly, Jack Tupp (aka Frisbeebrain), and you’ll see a good mix of disc golf content- much of which you won’t get anywhere else. Use the ‘Subscribe’ link at right to make sure the good stuff hits your email inbox before the metaphorical ink is dry.

A little about the history of this blog:

Back in 2008, I decided to launch one of the sport’s first blogs, DeLa Blahg then went on to write (along with PDGA’s Steve Hill) for Rattling Chains, and after that All Things Disc Golf- both also excellent pioneering Disc Golf Blogs. Since then I launched the School of Disc Golf to offer lessons and teambuilding events and published two books. Three Paths to Better Disc Golf offers multiple tips to help you shoot lower scores, while The Disc Golf Revolution aims to help you share the sport – in all its important glory – with the outside world.

You’ll also see examples of my personal disc golf-themed smartphone captures, like this recent one from Hole 13 at my home course, DeLaveaga in Santa Cruz, CA.

Enough about me, right? Everyone is encouraged to post comments, and send me questions, ideas of topics to cover, and story links. If you want to peruse past posts for ideas, just use the search box. Let’s talk some disc golf!

Finally, a teaser for what’s up next: I’ll be sharing a completely fresh take on whether baskets should be smaller/more challenging on the pro tour. Stay tuned!